Instrument attachment



ay A HALPIN INSTRUMENT ATTACHMENT 7 Filed March .18, 1926 gm $3 Q 4w 3 m Patented May 3, 1927.

ABRAHAM HALPIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

INSTRUMENT ATTACHMENT.

Application filed March 18, 1926.

This invention relates to musical instru ments and has aarticnlar reference to resonance chambers.

Among the objects of this invention is to provide a musical instrnn'ient having a resonance chamber which is attachable to or detachable from the main body of the instrument with greater facility than has heretofore been possible as for the purpose of adjusting the instrumentin such manner as the particular type of instrument may require.

Another object of this invention is to provide attachment means for engaging the resonance chamber with the main body of the instrument which means are of the simplest character and operative with the maximum celerity for the purpose aforesaid.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or. suggested herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a prac tical embodiment thereof refelcnce is had to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the resonance chamber attached to abanjo.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view with parts in section showing the invention.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3--3- of Fig. 2.

Fig. a a fragmentary view of the instrument shown in Fig. 1. and with the resonance chamber in course of being removed.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view of the attachment means.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a drum with the resonance chamber attached.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view showing a modification of a feature of the attachment means.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the modification shown in Fig. 7.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, I show my invention as used generally in connection with any musical instrument such as a banjo having a main body 10 of cylindrical form which co-operates with suitable means for ri fdly supporting a membrane or sounding member 11. It will be understood that the specific arrangement or details shown may assume any suitable or convenient form, and that the con- Serial No. 95,581.

struction shown is merely illustrative to aid in the explanation of the advantages of the invention and the broad idea disclosed will be indicated hereinafter.

An annular supporting member or flange 12 is secured to the body 10 at 13 and sup ports the sounding member. A plurality of inner and outer rings 14 and 15 hold the sounding member securely along the periphery thereof. Brackets 16 secured to the body 10 by screws 17 carry hooks 18 which engage the outer ring 15 so that when tension is exerted on said hooks as by means of nuts 19, the sounding member 11 is stretched taut over the supporting means 13 whereby the quality of the tone can be improved. It will be observed, accordingly that the tension means are operative from a side of the main body of the instrument opposite to that upon which the SOlll'ltllllg member is positioned.

A tone or resonance chamber 20 is ar ranged to be engaged with the body 10 at a side thereof opposite to the sounding member. Said resonance chamber may take any suitable form or construction within the scope of this invention, but includes preferably abase plate and cylindrical wall 21 which is disposed to be coaxial with the body 10 and to lie without said body. An annular supporting flange 22 is provided to support said body or retain the same in suitable relation to the resonance chamber. Said flange 22 is preferably lixed rigidly to the wall 21 and posts 23 or the like to strengthen the same. A metal plate 2 1 tops the flange 22 and is secured thereto by screws 25. Sound openings 26 are provided through the flange and the plate. I

My invention provides means whereby the resonance chamber can be secured strongly to the body 10 of the instrument and yet be readily detachable therefrom to render the nuts 19 accessible to a socket wrench for tightening the sounding member. In other words, since the resonance chamber is of greater size than the body 10 and conse quently extends beneath the nuts 19, it is essential that the resonance cliamber be removed easily from the instrument to permit the operator to manipulate the means for tightening the sounding n'iember with the usual ease and celerity.

Accordingly this invention takes the form of fastening means operative between the music producing means and the resonance chamber, and .includi ng an. engagement me1nher 2'? movable at an angle to the axis t said chamber for engaging a suitable yoke member 28 on the body 10. I; socket member if) is secured to the plate 2 by mea ot a bolt 130, an opening 31 being provuled in tlange 22 to receive the head o hie bolt. 'lhus the socket member is SQCU'LQLL to the plate before the same the is attached to ilk L with a ball 33 at the lower end thereoit to be received in the socket member 1 3- serv- 'ng to retain the engagement member in movable relation only in a plane passing through the axis of the reso lance chamber.

l' permits the er to move as he slot in the so ket incm ier :lltlllk ot the engagement mein a toresaid. 'lhe yoke member 2 s prmided with a vertical opening or slot 86 in alinement with the member 2? to receive the same. A thumb nut is threaded on the tree end oi the engagement member. The operation ot the fastening means will accordingly be understood as follows: The engagementmember is tilted about its pivotal axis :Jl until it is r ceiven in the opening 36, and then the thumb nut is screwed down, whereby the body 10 is caused to bear snugly against the resonance chamber. It will be understood that while various specitic details of construction have been described herein any fastening means can be used within the scope ot this invention which is operative as between a mu al inctrmnent and a resonance chamber to facilitate attachment to or disengagement ot the one trom the other.

Any suitadc number or" said fastening means can be used, though i prefer to use tour spaced at substant ally equal angles apart. Thus, observing Fig. at. assuming it is desired to tighten the sounding member, the nuts 3? are loosened, v.'hereb the engagement members 27 drop open, thus permitting the resonance chamber to be ren'uived as shown.

To indicate the general applicability of my invention to instruments of all kinds, I show a drum 38, a resonance chamber 30, and tastening means therebetween inchuling the movable members 27 pivotally mounted on socket members 39, brackets sit) being provided on the body ot the drum slotted at 4:1 to receive the members 27, whereby the thumb nuts :1? are manipulated. Upon removal Oil the resonance chamber screv-ss -42 are manipulatable to tighten, by means of a socket: wrench or the like, the men brane adja ent to said chamber.

The nut 37 may be provided with an annular recess l3 coaxial therewith to receive a shoulder is: which is circular except tor the break at the slot 36. Should the nut loosen accidentally, the shoulder will still retain the nut engaged with the yoke member 28 and prevent the resonance chamber l'rom becoming det'a bed.

A modification oi the attachment: means is shown in F j '7 wherein a special bridge 32 is arranged to co-operate separably and adjustably with a plurality oi standard brackets 16 that are mounted in the same :eneral manner tiff indicated hereinbclore. lhc mus 1.) co-operate with books 18 to retain the b 'idgc in securely lined position between the anchor me nbers and the nuts. The bridge is provided with means for engaging the mova ale attachment member 27, as when the same is tilted into a slot 36 ot the bridge member, the nut 37 being positioned on the shoulder that surroijinds 1 part of the slot, the shoulder being receivable within the recess oi the nut 37 as described hereinbetore. The bridge member tollows the contour of the body oi the instrument and is provided with openings or slots 46 through which the stems 18 pass so as to render the bridge membe' adjustable circumlerentially oi the body of the instrument. to the extent and tor the purpose that the bridge may be engage ble and mounted in place regardless of the precise spacing ol? the brackets.

1 claim:

1. In a musi -al instrument, the combination with a circular body, a vib 'ating member stretched over the body to produce a sound, and tension means on said body for retaining said sound producing member stretched taut upon the body, and manipuatable from a side of the body opposite the sound producing member, of a resonance chamber, and fastening means :tor retaining said chamber in detachable engagement with said body opposite to the sounding member ant adjacent to the tension means, said fastening means including a yoke member secured to the chamber, a movable member having pivotal engagement with the yoke member, and a bridge member on the body having a late 'al opening to receive the movable member when the same is swung around its pivot, the movable member having a head to grip the bridge member in holding pt'isition.

2. In a musical instrument, the combination witl'i means tor producing music including a oody ot subs-atantially cylindrical torm, a suliistantially cylindrical lt-fstliinlit't chamber. and a sounding member on the body opposite to said resonance chamber, of means including a jlllilltlllty (it ljn'ackcts secured to the body and ope 'ative to retain the sounding member stretched taut on the body. and Fastening means to attach the resonance chamber detaehably to said. body and in substantially coaxial relation therewith, said brackets being spaced circumferentially along the outside of the body, a bridge being provided supported by a pair of adjacent brackets, a yoke member on said bridge, and a tiltable member pivoted on said ehan'iber to be n'iovable to engage the yoke member to fasten the chamber to the body.

2-3. In a musical instrument, the combination with means for producing music including a body ot substantially cylindrical term, a substantially cylindrical resonance rhaml'ier, and a sounding member on the body opposite to the resonance chamber, of means to retain the sounding member stretched taut on the body and adjustable from that side of the body at which the resonance chamber is positioned, and means to detaehably secure the resonance chamber to the body including a yoke member on the body, and. a pivoted member on the chamber eiigageable with the yoke member for the purpose aforesaid, the pivoted member carrying a nut having an axial. recess, the yoke member having a shoulder receivable into the recess to prevent pivotal movement of the pivoted member except when the nut is disengaged from the yoke member, the nut serving when tightened on the yoke means to render the chamber rigidly c0nneeted to the body.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ABRAHAM HALPIN. 

